The Thousand Years Reign

Isaiah 42:5-9 “Thus saith God the Lord, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth. . . . Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

[The thousand years reign of Christ is revealed in the bible to be a time of peace and joy. These attributes of Christ’s reign are a universal desire of mankind, but if the specific place, government, and timing are rejected, then Satan can deceive men to believe in a biblical promise of “peace and safety” NOW, under a government of men (Satan); and the churches will cooperate with the new world order, thinking Satan’s government is God’s intent. The whole truth must be believed concerning the true “peace” because partial belief in it is a trap! (2nd Thessalonians 2:10)]

Daniel 8:23-25 “. . . and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace shall destroy many. . . .”

Χ (2) 6:5-7 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth. . . .”

Χ (3) vs. 11-12 “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”

Revelation 21:1-5 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Psalm 102:25-28 “. . . the earth: and the heavens . . . shall perish . . . yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. . . .”

Isaiah 65:17-25 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered. . . .”

Revelation 3:12 “the name of the city of my God . . . is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven. . . .”

Government: by Jesus Christ from the throne of David at New Jerusalem

Isaiah 9:6-7 “. . . and the government shall be upon his shoulder . . . upon the throne of David. . . .”

Psalm 89:1-4 “Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.”

QUESTION: Where is this throne?

Jeremiah 3:16-17 “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord. . . .”

(This was always the place; it was never New York, Babylon, Nineveh, Egypt, Pergamos, or Rome.)

QUESTION: Do you see why the popes have never been satisfied with ruling from Rome, and have always wanted to occupy Jerusalem, and do you see why the Lord has never let them do it? (When the antichrist finally enters the temple in Jerusalem proclaiming himself to be god, as the popes always have, the Lord will then destroy this world.

Λ Revelation 3:21 “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne . . .”

(There are two thrones here!) [This first throne is the Throne of David and it is a throne on earth!]

“even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.”

(This is the one the Lord is on now.)

QUESTION: If we reject the future thousand years as literal, what have we taken away?

ANSWER: Christ ruling on earth! (Now you’re left with hope in “the pope,” the new world order, united nations, “think tanks,” “postmillennialism”, “amillennialism”, etc., and all the humanistic, socialist, fascist, homosexual baggage that goes with it.)

Revelation 21:23-26 “And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.” (in the thousand years)

Isaiah 56:3-7 [And concerning the stranger:] “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” [Isaiah is talking about the thousand years reign.]

QUESTION: Is this talking about this world? (For the answer, see Hosea 9:4.)

Hosea 9:4 “They shall not offer wine offerings to the Lord, neither shall they be pleasing unto him: their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourners; all that eat thereof shall be polluted: for their bread for their soul shall not come into the house of the Lord.” (“the temple”) [Hosea is talking about this world.]

Zechariah 14:16 “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.”

v. 17-18 “And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain. . . . that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.”

(Rebelliousness in men, even while Satan is chained in the pit! The Lord therefore will rule with a rod of iron.)

Revelation 19:15 “. . . and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. . . .”

12:5 “And she brought forth a man child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. . . .”

2:27 “And he shall rule them with a rod of iron. . . .”

Psalm 2:9 “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

vs. 1-2 “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed. . . .”

[This seems to be talking about two entities: (1) “the LORD” and (2) “his anointed”

and “his anointed” could be King David, if we didn’t already know better; but then in

Λ vs. 3-8 (7-8) “I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.”

[Notice, depending on how you read v. 8, we believers are included in this!] (Which is not all we do with Him.)

QUESTION: Who is talking to whom in vs. 7 & 8? (Who is “I” and who is “thee” in verse 8?) Is the Godhead here talking among himself?

Revelation 1:6 “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.” (“Kings” are for ruling over people and “priests” are for mediating to those not with God.)

5:10 “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

(As it is now, in this world owned by Satan, we’re the scum of the earth:

(1st Corinthians 4:13 “. . . we are made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things. . . .”)

(Lamentations 3:45 “Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.”)

(Matthew 19:30 “But many that are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.”)

21:5 (again) “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.”

Zephaniah 3:14-20 “Sing, O daughter of Zion . . . the king of Israel, even the Lord, is in the midst of thee. . . .”

Time: for a thousand years

John 5:28-29 “the resurrection of life . . . the resurrection of damnation” (There are two resurrections.)

Revelation 20 [This chapter associates the two resurrections with two judgements, and the thousand years in between.]

vs. 2,3,4,5,6,7 “thousand years” (This is rather repetitive to be “figurative.”)

v. 4 Those that “lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” were dead (“beheaded”) and are alive again!

v. 5 “This is the first resurrection.” (v. 13 is the second resurrection.)

“The Thousand Years” Begins and Ends with a Resurrection

(There are two resurrections.)

John 5:29 “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

The First Resurrection (at the beginning of the thousand years)

(again) Revelation 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

(again) John 5:29 “the resurrection of life”

QUESTION: How many resurrections of life are there? How many can there be?

ANSWER: One! (See the word “the” at the beginning?) (It’s called the “definite article” for a good reason.)

QUESTION: Does that mean there’s just “one resurrection”?

ANSWER: No! It means there’s just one “resurrection of life”

(The term, “a resurrection of life” does not exist.

just as “one of the resurrections of life” does not exist.)

EXAMPLE: The term, “the Son of God” is used 42 times in the new testament.

QUESTION: How many times do you think “a Son of God” is used?

ANSWER: Never. Not once.

[In summation: there is one resurrection of life, at the beginning of the thousand years.]

1st Corinthians 15:52 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

(a) Introduced here is the fact that two categories of those who belong to the Lord will be “raised”: the dead and those in the Lord who are not dead.

(b) They are both raised during this same time period “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye”.

(c) The dead are mentioned as “raised” before those not dead are mentioned as “changed”.

(d) This time period when they are raised follows the sounding of a trumpet.

(e) The time period of this trumpet is “the last trump”.

QUESTION: Are these “dead” the saved, or the unsaved?

ANSWER: These dead are raised together with those still living that Paul describes as “we”.

(Who is “we”, when Paul uses the word?)

(f) This is not a “secret” resurrection.

1st Thessalonians 4:13-16 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

(a) Repeated here is the fact that two categories of those who belong to the Lord will be “raised”:

(1) “we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord” and

(2) “them which are asleep.”

(b) They are both raised during this same time period , at “the coming of the Lord”.

(c) “the dead in Christ shall rise first”

(d) This happens when: “the Lord himself” descends “from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God”.

QUESTION: Is this a “secret rapture”?

(e) The time period of this trumpet is “the last trump”, unless we are crazy enough to think that it’s a different trumpet, believing that, even though everything else about this resurrection is the same, it’s a different resurrection.

(again) QUESTION: How many resurrections of life are there? (ANSWER: One)

QUESTION: Are the “dead” here, the saved, or the unsaved?

ANSWER: These dead are raised together with those still living that Paul describes as “we”.

(Who is “we”, when Paul uses the word?)

(again) v. 16 “and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

QUESTION: “first” before whom?

ANSWER: “we which are alive and remain”

(f) This is not a “secret” resurrection.

v. 17 “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

The Second Resurrection (at the end of the thousand years)

Revelation 20:7-15 The SECOND “resurrection” ends in “the lake of fire”, which is “the second death”

(Matthew 10:28 “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”)

(The word, “hell”, is clearly here used to refer to “the lake of fire”, NOT “the grave.”)

2:11 “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.”

QUESTION: What does “He that overcometh” actually overcome?

ANSWER: There is only one answer: Through Jesus Christ he overcomes (1) Satan and (2) the world by not loving his life unto the death. This was always the thing, but especially so in the tribulation.

(1) Revelation 12:9-11 “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”

(2) John 16:33 “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

(again) 20:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

(1) Clearly “the first resurrection” cannot be at the end of the thousand years.

(2) “the second death” is here associated with a resurrection that is referred to without putting it into words: which is “the second resurrection.”

QUESTION: What is, then, what we’re calling, “the second resurrection”?

ANSWER: It is the resurrection at the end of the thousand years,

which leads to the “white throne” judgement,

which leads to “the second death”.

QUESTION: What is “the second death”?

ANSWER: It is “damnation” in “the lake of fire”.

(again) John 5:29 “And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

“The Thousand Years” Begins and Ends with a War (There are two great wars.)

The First War (at the beginning of the thousand years) [The day of the Lord, a day of his wrath against his enemies and deliverance of his people.

Revelation 19:11-21 “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

Much is written about this war.

Psalm 110:5-6 “The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of his wrath. . . . he shall fill the places with the dead bodies . . . over many countries.”

Isaiah 2:11-12 “The lofty looks of man shall be humbled . . . and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.”

vs. 17-21 “ . . . and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day. . . . when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

Malachi 3:2 “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth?. . .”

4:1,3,5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before . . . the great and dreadful day of the Lord. . . .”

A DAY OF RESURRECTION, DELIVERANCE, AND VENGEANCE FOR THE LORD’S PEOPLE

Isaiah 25:8-9 “He will swallow up death in victory . . . we have waited for him, and he will save us. . . .”

Deuteronomy 32:43 “Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.”

Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.”

Nahum 1:2,5,6 “. . . the Lord will take vengeance on his adversaries. . . . Who can stand before his indignation?”

Isaiah 26:20-21 “Come, my people . . . hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.”

Zephaniah 2:1-3 “. . . seek righteousness, seek meekness: it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.”

Isaiah 34:1-8 (6) “The sword of the LORD is filled with blood . . . for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Idumea.”

63:1-4 “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.”

42:13-16 “The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.”

Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days . . . the Son of man coming in the clouds . . . with a great sound of a trumpet . . . shall gather together his elect.”

Revelation 16:(all) “. . . to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty . . . And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. . . . and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.”

14:18-20 “And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”

Ezekiel 38 – 39 “Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. . . . And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.”

[This is essentially what the Lord said to Pharoah.]

“Magog” Genesis 10:1-2 “The sons of Japheth [Noah’s son, after the flood]; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.”

[1st Chronicles 4:35 “And Joel, and Jehu the son of Josibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel. . . .”

[“Asiel” is a dead end so far.]

QUESTION: Why would the Lord refer to his enemies that come in the last days to do battle against him and his people, as “Gog” and “Magog” which existed so far in the past?

ANSWER: Because . . .

(1) these people are of the same spirit as “Gog” and “Magog”

(2) “Gog” and “Magog” set the precedent as being the spiritual arch-type of this sort of evil.

EXAMPLES:

The Lord calls Jerusalem, “Sodom and Egypt”, and you know exactly what he means: its not a compliment.

Revelation 11:8 “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.”

(Luke 13:33-34 “Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!”)

Revelation 17:5 “And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.”

18:2 “And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

v. 21 “And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.”

The Lord uses noteworthy names to evoke an image that is well known already, so that it doesn’t have to be described all over again; as in Jude 1:11.

Jude 1:11 “Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core [in the matter of Dathan, Abiram, and Korah].”

[Men do the same thing, using proper nouns to perfectly describe something without having to use any other words to do it, such as “Quisling.” Once you know what Quisling did, he establishes the type; as “Judas” “a treacherous person who betrays under semblance of friendship” (as Judas betrayed the Lord with a kiss and established himself forever as the arch-type for this kind of betrayal.]

The Second War (at the end of the thousand years)

Revelation 20:7-9 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

Very little is written about this war: the enemy is dispatched without comment.

(The Lord doesn’t even get his hands dirty.)

“. . . and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.”

Gog and Magog are not spoken of elsewhere in the new testament. (It’s not necessary, because you’ve got the idea.)

QUESTION: Is it possible that this “Gog and Magog” are different than those referred to in the first war?

ANSWER: Not a chance: it is an abiding spiritual truth.

The Great Tribulation [The traditional belief is that this period lasts seven years. Scripture doesn’t exactly say that.]

There is controversy over Daniel 9:27 between churches. For example some denominations say that this verse refers to Christ’s coming and not antichrist. Other churches, who say this verse describes the reign of antichrist in the last days, use it as the proof that the great tribulation is seven years long. (They may both be partially right, in the case where Daniel 9;27 referred simultaneously to both.)

EXAMPLE: Does Psalm 8:3-8 refer to men in general or to the Lord specifically?

(Compare this verse with Hebrews 2:6-11)

QUESTION: Are you still positive that Psalm 8 only refers to men?

Λ Regardless of the interpretation of Daniel 9:27, there is still reason to infer a great tribulation, possibly seven years long, which is definitely . . .

(1) in the future

(2) in the last days immediately before the Lord’s coming, and

(3) which is ended by the Lord’s coming.

Mark 13:24-27 “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.”

Λ (again) Joel 2:31-32 “The sun shall be turned into darkness . . . before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come.”

Matthew 24:21-27 “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

vs. 29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

Hosea 2:14-23 “Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness. . . .”

% “where she hath a place prepared of God . . .” (This is the Lord’s standard plan.)

Exodus 23:20 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee . . . to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.”

Isaiah 42:16 “And I will bring the blind [(Israel)] by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.” (In case you didn’t know, this is Israel that is “blind” that the Lord will NOT “forsake”.)

(Romans 11:25 “For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.”)

John 14:1-4 “I go to prepare a place for you. . . . and the way ye know.” (said to the disciples for the church to know)

% “that they should feed her there . . .”

QUESTION: Who does “they” refer to here? (Yes, it could refer to angels; or:)

[The 12:6 event is the same as in 12:14, where the time is described as: “for a time, and times, and half a time”]

Revelation 12:14-17 “And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.”

Daniel 12:1-9 (v. 7) “. . . it shall be for a time, times, and an half. . . .”

7:25 “. . . and they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time.” (3½ years)

(Remember: Revelation 11:2 “. . . the holy city shall they [the Gentiles] tread under foot forty and two months.”)

Revelation 13:4-7 “And . . . power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.” (42 months = 3½ years)

THE NATURE OF THE THOUSAND YEARS

The world at the beginning of the thousand years is made again, “new”.

Psalm 102:25-28 “. . . the earth: and the heavens . . . shall perish . . . yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed. . . .”

Isaiah 65:17-25 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered. . . .”

2nd Peter 3:10-13 “Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.” (Obviously, not this earth!)

Revelation 21:1-5 “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away. . . . And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”

QUESTION: Does “all things” include “Gog” and “Magog”?

ANSWER: It has to doesn’t it? “And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.” and also, Gog and Magog rise up at the end of the thousand years in rebellion against the Lord, so they were there.

Revelation 21:1-5 (2) “And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

QUESTION: Who or what is the “bride” of Christ

ANSWER: [None of the “churches” like the real “bride” because . . .

(1) the real “bride” is not a title of the church, so the churches ignore the verses describing the bride;

(2) the “bride” is way too “Jewish” to suit their tastes, since they insist that the church replaced Israel; and

(3) the description of the “bride” demonstrates clearly that the Lord still has his affection set on Israel, whereas the “churches have been preaching for years that “the Lord is finished with the Jews.”]

vs. 9-27 “Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”

v. 16 [“twelve thousand furlongs” = 1,500 miles, “The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.”]

v. 17 [the wall around the city is 144 cubits = 216 feet high]

22:17 “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.” [Even the city itself welcomes you.]

The world at the end of the thousand years is finished and destroyed completely.

Revelation 20:7-11 “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.”

Timing: The reign of Christ comes AFTER the Lord destroys this world at his coming, on the day of the Lord.

John 18:36 “Jesus answered, . . . but now is my kingdom not from hence.”

[Timing is everything, and understanding it is critical for doctrine!] (For example:)

QUESTION: What’s wrong with Adventists trying to prove that vegetarianism is for today by going to Genesis 1:29-30 to show God gave herbs for meat?

ANSWER: The timing! (Vegetarianism was true once, and will be again during the thousand years, but NOW it is a doctrine of devils:)

Zechariah 14:1 “Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.”

v. 8 “And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem. . . .”

QUESTION: Is this “Jerusalem” the present Jerusalem, or the “New Jerusalem”?

v. 9 “And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.”

[This is what Satan through antichrist plans for himself, in this world; and the world will receive him!]

John 5:43-47 “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

Ending:

Revelation 20:6-9 “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations. . . .” [The exact thing happens on earth at the end of the thousand years as it did before in heaven, and then again in the first earth (in Genesis) a coup.]

QUESTION: Satan is chained in the bottomless pit, all the unconverted dead are dead and won’t be resurrected till the end of the thousand years, and the saints are ruling as kings and priests. So, where do the “nations” come from over whom the saints rule with the Lord, and who are subsequently deceived by Satan when he is loosed at the end of the thousand years?

ANSWER: One possibility is that they are the children of the saints during the thousand years reign of Christ.

[To some people, this possible answer contradicts what the Lord said in:

Matthew 22:30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.” and

(also) Mark 12:25 “For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.”

[but notice the context (in Matthew 22:23-29), which is about marrying and giving in marriage, not having children.]

(I know this makes me sound a little weird! but the answer from me is, “I don’t really know.”, which prevents nothing, because the Lord said it will happen and it will happen.)

[In the beginning, there was only Adam and Eve, and then the planet was filled with people. Later there was Noah and eight souls, and then the planet was filled with people again. It doesn’t matter that I can’t tell you for sure concerning “from where” and “how” the “new earth” will be filled again, but it will; and it will not be “too hard” for the Lord.]